Providing laundry and linen services
Everybody loves doing laundry, right?! I am sure the answer is a resounding yes, especially when the laundry is someone else’s! Handling resident laundry can be a difficult task for facilities due to the massive amount they are tasked with. Alas, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has issued the following regulation as to how facilities must perform laundry services in the state:
NAC 449.213 Laundry and linen services. (NRS 449.0302)
1. A residential facility shall:
(a) Provide laundry and linen services on the premises of the facility; or
(b) Contract with a commercial laundry for the provision of those services.
2. A residential facility that provides its own laundry and linen services shall have accommodations which are adequate for the proper and sanitary washing and finishing of linen and other washable goods.
3. The laundry room in a residential facility must be situated in an area which is separate from an area where food is stored, prepared or served. The laundry must be adequate in size for the needs of the facility and maintained in a sanitary manner. The laundry room must contain at least one washer and at least one dryer. All the equipment must be kept in good repair. All dryers must be ventilated outside the building. If a washer or dryer is located outside the residential facility, the washer or dryer must be in a room or enclosure.
4. Clothes, bedding, linens, and any other materials laundered pursuant to subsection 1 must be made clean by the laundering process. If a residential facility provides its own laundry and linen services, the residential facility shall:
(a) Make appropriate use of detergents, soaps, heat, or chemicals; and
(b) Take precautions to ensure that no resident, member of the staff of the facility, or another person in the facility is harmed by exposure to the detergents, soaps, heat or chemicals used in the laundering process.
Pro Tip:
- Assign residents a specific laundry day (communicate with them if you need to change it)
- Provide them with a washable mesh bag to put laundry in
- Ensure staff is aware of expectations related to laundry services